Gloss stable paraffin wax compositions



United States Patent Ofi ice 3,105,767 Patented Oct. 1, 1963 ware No Drawing. Filed Nov. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 238,702 10 Claims. (Cl. 106-270) This invention relates to novel wax compositions having iproved properties. More particularly, it is directed to 'ystalline paraffin wax compositions modified to improve re gloss stability of the waxes. Waxes derived from petroleum crude oils may be divided to two principal classes. These comprise the highly 'ystalline parafiin (including normaland iso-paratfin) axes and the amorphous, plastic (microcrystalline) axes. For the most part, the crystalline paraffin waxes 'e those obtained by the dewaxing of lubricating oil stillates or by fractionation of residual waxes. They 'edominate in substantially straight-chain paraffin hydrorrbon molecules and contain only minor proportions of oparaitins and even smaller amounts of olefins and cyclic ructures. They are characterized by their sharp melting Jints, their high degree of crystallinity and their ability resist the effects of light and heat insofar as degradaon of color is concerned. Microcrystalline waxes, on to other hand, are identified by their plastic and often icky condition, their characteristic yellow color and leir strong tendency to discolor in the presence of light ad/or heat. When the latter are mixed with soft wax actions and lubricating oil, the composition is called petrolatum.

An important difference between these two classes of etroleum waxes comprises the initially high gloss which my be obtained with the crystalline paraflin waxes, and

ie lack of gloss so characteristic of the microcrystalline axes, possibly due to their fine-grained or amorphous :ructure. While it has been noted that crystalline paraflin 'axes can be coated on wax paper and the like to give r1 initially glossy sheet, this gloss gradually degrades, es-

ecially at room temperature or above, with increasing ipidity as the transition point of the waxes is approached.

The retention of gloss by parafiin wax surfaces is of lajor importance especially from the standpoint of salebility. Therefore, it is highly desirable to treat or modify rystalline paraffin waxes so that the initial gloss can be :tained over a reasonably long storage period. taking into :count the potential time of storage and the expected :mperature range at which such waxes will be kept.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the loss characteristics of crystalline paraffin waxes. It is nother object of the present invention to improve the gloss ability of paraffin Waxes. It is a further object of this lvention to improve the appearance of papers Waxed with ax compositions predominating in paraffin waxes. Other bjects will become apparent during the following dislosure.

Now, in accordance with the present invention, it has een found that color-stable, but gloss-unstable, crystalline araftin petroleum waxes may be improved with respect to :tention of gloss by the incorporation therein of a gloss- :abilizing proportion of certain restricted classes of a henol having a configuration of the group consisting of and ( 11k X it C IIO- on --011 l I Q 2) l t A X X A wherein X is a substituent of the group consisting of methyl, hydrogen and hydroxyl, A is a 3,5-dialkyl-4-hydroxyeenzyl substituent wherein each of the alkyl radicals has 1-8 carbon atoms, at least one of the alkyl radicals being branched on the alpha carbon atom, B is a substituent of the group consisting of A-, AO-(CH and C alkyl, C=O, R is a monovalent radical independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen (-H) and methyl (CH and n is a whole number of from 1 through 4. Phenols within class (3) in which n is from 1 through 2 and in which the alkylene group ((CR contains no more than three carbon atoms are preferred.

The present invention is highly restricted with respect to the precise configuration of the several classes of phenols outlined above, since many other phenols having somewhat similar but distincly different configurations have been found entirely useless for gloss stabilization. Many of these phenols, which are ineffective as gloss stabilizers may actually be useful only in wax compositions (i.e., as oxidation inhibitors) but this is normally a property not associated with gloss stability insofar as it has been do termined.

The classes of phenols particularly falling Within the scope of the present invention, are as follows:

(I) Alkylcne bis[2,6-bis(3,5-dialkyl-4-hydroxybenzyl) phenols] (2) a,ec,-Oxy-bis(2,6tlialkyl-p-cresols) (3) a,oc,-Alkylenedioxy-bis(2,6-dialkyl-p-cresols) (4) Fatty acid esters of 3,5-dialkyl-p-cresols (5) Benzenetriyl(2,6-dialkyl-p-cresols) (6) Tris(dialkylhydroxybenzyl)phenols The most effective species falling Within the scope of the present invention are illustrated by the following:

TABLE I Aikylcne Bis[2,6-Bis(3,5-DiaIkyl-4-Hydroxybenzyl) Phenols] 4,4-isopropylidine bis[2,6-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hyroxybenzyl) phenol] 4,4'-ethylene bis[2,6-bis(3,S-di-tcrt-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyi)phenol] 4,4-rnethylene bis[2,6-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl phenol] 4,4isopropylidene bis[2,6-bis(3,S-di-tert-butyl-Z-methylllrydroxybenzyl) phenol] 4,4-isopropylidene bis[2,6-bis(3,S-di-tert-buty1-2-ethyl-4- hydroxybenzyl)phenol] 4,4'-rncthylene bis[2,6-bis(3-tert-butyl-5-isopropyl-4-hydroxybenzyhphenol] 4,4'-propylene bis[2,6-bis(3,5-ditert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)phenol] 4,4'-trimethylene bis[2,6-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-methyl-4- hydroxybenzyl)phenol] 4,4'-ethylidene bis[2,6-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)phenol] 3 TABLE II a,a'-OxyBis( 2,6-Dialkyl-p-Cresols) a,a'-Oxy-bis(2,G-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol) a,m'-Oxy-bis (2-tert-butyl-6-isopropyl-p-cresol) a,a'-Oxy-bis(2,5,6-tri-tert-butyl-p-creso1) a,e'-Oxy-(2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol) (Z-tert-butyl-p-cresol) a,ix'-Oxy-(2,6-di( l-ethylhexyl-p-cresol) TABLE III a,a'-A lky lenedioxy-Bis(2,6-Dialkyl-p-Cresols) a,'-Ethylenedioxy-bis 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol) at,'-Isopropylidenedioxy-bis 2 ,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol) a,a-Methylenedioxy-bis( 2,6- di-isoamyl-p-cresol) mod-E thylenedioxy(2,6-tert-butyl-pcresol)(2, fi-di-isoamyl-p-cresol) t,oL'-B utylenedioxy-bis(2,6-d i-te rt-butyl-pwresol) TABLE IV Fatty Acid Esters 0f 3,5-Dz'alkyl-p-Cresols 3,5-di-teut-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl laurate 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl stearate 3,S-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl octoate 3-tert-butyl5-isoamyl-4-hydroxybenzyl myristate 3,S-di-tert-butyl-2-methyl-4-hydroxybenzyl caprate TABLE V Benzenetriyl(2,6-Dialkyl-p-Cresols) afia"-(2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,5-benzenetriyl)tris(2,6-ditert-butyl-p-cresol) a,u,m"-(1,3,5-benzenetriyl)tris-(2,6-di-tert-butyl-pcresol) 0L,0L',CZ"-(2,6-dl5thy1-1,3,5-bCnZ6nCtl'lYl)tI'iS(2,6-dlt61"t butyl-p-cresol) oz,ot',ot"-(2,4-dll'n6thYl-6-ISOPIOPYI-1,3,5-b6I1Z6116Ul3/D- tris (2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol) TABLE VI Tris(Dialkylhydroxybenzyl)Phenols 2,4,6-tris 3 ,5 -di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl phenol 3 5-dimethyl-2,4,6-tris 3 ,5-di-te rt-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl) phenol 2,4,6-tris 3,5-isoamyl-4-hydroxybenzyl phenol The major components of the present crystalline parafiin Waxes comprise normal and isoparafiin hydrocarbon waxes usually derived from petroleum crude oils and having melting points within the range from about 100 to about 190 F. Preferably these are between about 100 and 165 F., and still more preferably between about 110 and about 150 F. The crystalline paraffin waxes usually predominate in normal parafiin hydrocarbons and may comprise a single Wax but ordinarily will be a mixture of relatively closely related parafiin Wax molecules. These are obtained by well-known dewaxing procedures from waxy lubricating oils, normally distillate oils. In such procedures the general practice is to distill a broad range lubricating oil into a number of relatively narrow fractions, extract the aromatics and color bodies by clay percolation or by solvents such as phenol or the like.

The waxy lubrication oil is dispersed in a solvent such as a methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetone, or mixtures thereof, usually with other diluents such as benzene and the like. The wax and oil solution is cooled to a predetermined level in order to cause crystallization of the wax components. The latter are removed by centrifuging or filtering and then may be purified by recrystallization or other well-known procedures. Normally they should contain less than about 1% by weight of contaminating oils, namely, those oils which occur naturally in the lubricating oil fractions from which the waxes were separated or oils having viscosities less than about 200 SSU at 210 F.

Higher melting paraflin waxes may be obtained either by close fractionation of high melting distillate paraffin waxes or by fractional recrystallization of waxes obtained from residual lubricating oil stocks. Thus, in the dewaxing of certain residual oils from selected crude sources, a crude wax is obtained which is made up of substantial portions of microcrystalline wax components and high melting paraflin wax components. These can be separated by fractional crystallization to yield highly plastic microcrystalline wax and at the same time high melting paraflin wax having melting points in the order of F. These high melting point paraffin waxes are especially suitable for the modification of distillate paraffin waxes but are regarded as being paraflins of the same general character and of higher molecular weight than those present in the distillate lubricating oil cuts.

In order to materially improve the gloss stability of crystalline parafiin waxes, it is usually necessary to employ only fractional percentages of the above types of phenols (including their mixtures) the preferred concentration of phenol being from about 0.1 to 1% based on the total wax composition.

The examples which follow illustrate the principles of the present invention. A crystalline paratfin wax obtained by the dewaxing of an East Texas crude oil distillate and refined by percolation through clay, having a melting point of l38-140 F. was used in this comparative test. The gloss retention test comprises coating a card board specimen with a wax composition to produce an initial gloss of about 8590 units (percent reflcotant) when measured with a fixed 60 angle in a standard Gardner gloss meter. After seven days storage at a temperature of 73 F. and a relative humidity of 50%, the gloss level is measured again. The difference between this measurement and the initial gloss is reported as loss of gloss. Unmodified wax lost 44% of its original gloss under these standardized conditions. The incorporation of 0.10.5% by weight of a number of phenols falling within the present invention caused a striking improvement in gloss retention as indicated by Table VII which follows:

TABLE VII Gloss Tests With 138/140 Fully Refined Paralfin Wax Loss of Gloss after 7 days Storage at 73 F. Example Additive Additive Additive A 'lilitiyo 0.1% 0.2% 0.53

1 1x, a-ctliylcnedloxy-bis- (2, fi-di-tcrtbutyl-p-cresol). 41 0 2 a, a-oxy-bis(2,6-di-tertbut yl-p-cresol) 35 19 (1 3 3, 5-di-tert-butyli hydroxybenzyl laurate. 45 20 0 4 a, a, a-(2, 4, (i-trlmcthyl l, 3, E-henzcnetriyl) trls- (2, fi-di ternbutyl-p crcsol 36 25 8 5 2, 4, 6-tris(3, fi-di-tcrt-butyl--1-hydruxybcnzyl) phenol. 39 15 0 6 3, 5dimethyl-2, 4, G-tris (3,

5,di-tert-bntyl-4'hydrox ybenzyl) phenol. 36 ll 4 7 4, 4-isoprcpylidenc bis[2,

6-bis(3, fi-di-tert-hutyl- 4-liydroxybonzyl)pher101]. 16 11 3 1 Measured by standard 60 Gardner Gloss Meter. Wax considered stable if loss not greater than 10 units after 7 days at 73 F. lruportiunately stable if loss not greater than 10 units after 7 (lays at 73 i Proportinnatcly less stable above that value.

Example 8.-A Wax composition having improved gloss stability consisting of 99.0% by weight 138-140 F. melting point parafiin Wax and 1.0% by weight 4,4'-isopropyl- 5 dine-bis [2,6-bis(3,5-diatert-butyl 4 hydroxybenzyl )phc- .01] which has the chemical structural formula HO t-buty1 t-hutyl U Example 9.A wax composition having improved gloss :ability consisting of 99.3% by weight of a mixture of v paraflinic petroleum waxes having melting points of 38-140 F. and 161-165" F. and 0.7% by weight 4,4- ropylene bis[2,6-bis(3,S-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)- henol], the propylene radical being of the configuration This patent application is a continuation-in-part of pplicants copending US. patent application Serial No. 29,243, filed August 4, 1961.

I claim as my invention:

1. An improved wax composition comprising a major nount of a parafiin Wax and a minor amount, sufi'icient I inhibit gloss deterioration of 4,4'-isopropylidene bis[2, -bis 3,S-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl) phenol].

2. An improved wax composition comprising a major nount of a parafiin wax and a minor amount, suflicient inhibit gloss deterioration of 3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6-tris l, 5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl phenol.

3. An improved wax composition comprising a major nount of a paraflin wax and a minor amount, sufficient inhibit gloss deterioration of 3,4,6 tris(3,5-di-tert-butylhydroxybenzyl phenol.

4. An improved wax composition comprising a major nount of a paraflin wax and a minor amount, sutficient inhibit gloss deterioration of 3,5-di-tert-bntyl-4-hy- 'oxybe-nzyl laurate.

5. An improved wax composition comprising a major nount of a parafiin wax and a minor amount, sufficient inhibit gloss deterioration of a,ot-oxy-bis(2,6-ditertityl-p-cresol).

6. An improved wax composition comprising a major mount of a paraffin wax and a minor amount, sutlicient inhibit gloss deterioration of a phenol having a con- ;uration of the group consisting of ierein X is a substituent of the group consisting of 6 methyl, hydrogen and hydroxyl, A is a 3,5-dialkyl-4-hydroxybenzy'l substituent, wherein each of the alkyl radicals has 1-8 carbon atoms, at least one of the alkyl radicals being branched on the alpha carbon atom and B is a substituent of the group consisting of A,

and Cg 1 C O, R is a monovalent radical independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl and n is a whole number from 1 through 4.

7. An improved wax composition comprising a major amount of a paraffin wax and a minor amount, suflicient to inhibit gloss deterioration of a phenol having the configuration wherein X is a substituent of the group consisting of methyl, hydrogen and hydroxyl and A is a 3,5-dialkyl-4- hydroxybenbyl substituent, wherein each of the alkyl radicals has l8 carbon atoms, at least one of the alkyl radicals being branched on the alpha carbon atom.

8. An improved wax composition comprising a major amount of a parafiin wax and a minor amount, sufficient to inhibit gloss deterioration of a phenol having the configuration wherein A is a 3,5-dialkyl-4-hydroxybenzy1 substituent, wherein each of the alkyl radicals has 1-8 carbon atoms, at least one of the alkyl radicals being branched on the alpha carbon atom and B is a substituent of the group consisting of A, AO-(CH and C @O, and n is an integer from 1 to 4.

9, An improved wax composition comprising a major amount of a paraffin wax and a minor amount, sufiicient to inhibit gloss deterioration of wherein X is a substituent of the group consisting of methyl, hydrogen, and hydroxyl, n is an integer between 1 and 4, and A is a 3,5-dialkyl-4-hydroxybenzyl substituent, wherein each of the alkyl radicals has 1-8 carbon atoms, at least one of the alkyl radicals being branched on the alpha carton atom, R is a monovalent radical independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl and n is a whole number from 1 through 4.

10. An improved wax composition comprising a major amount of a parafiin wax and a minor amount, sufficient to inhibit gloss deterioration of 4,4'-propylene [bis 2,6- bis 3 S-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl) phenol] References Cited in the file of this patent Morawetz: Phenolic Antioxidants for Parafiinic Materials, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, July 1949, pages 1442-1447. 

6. AN IMPROVED WAX COMPOSITION COMPRISING A MAJOR AMOUNT OF A PARAFFIN WAX AND A MINOR AMOUNT, SUFFICIENT TO INHIBIT GLOSS DETERIORATION OF A PHENOL HAVING A CONFIGURATION OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 